A woman was seriously injured after being attacked by an unleashed pit bull on the street in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighbourhood, in an incident that has reignited concerns about dog control in the area. The attack, which lasted 10 to 15 minutes, occurred on Tuesday morning as bystanders tried to intervene with pepper spray before police arrived and restrained the animal with a catch pole; the dog died at the scene, though the cause remains unclear amid claims it resulted from rough handling by officers.

The victim, whose identity has not been released, suffered severe injuries to both hands, her wrist and knee, and remains in critical condition on a ventilator at San Francisco General Hospital. Local supervisor Bilal Mahmood said the attack was not an isolated case, noting the Tenderloin has seen repeated dog-related incidents over the past year, while police figures show the city's Dangerous Dogs Unit received 729 bite reports so far this year, with 30-40% occurring in the Tenderloin, an area with a large homeless population where dogs are often kept for companionship and protection.